High Quality Coaxial sockets

[Akshay]

Hi I want to tidy up the tv cable in my lounge. At present it comes in from the roof via the wall and there is a long length of cable curled up in the corner behind the TV. I want to fit a flush brass socket in the wal but not lose any quality. I've seen some "screened" white ones in Maplins and also some "isolated" brass ones on the net. Are screened and isolated the same meaning in theory?

Also does anyone know where to get plates to go around sockets and switches? I'm after black trim panels which are only 5mm or so wide to sit around the new sockets, to give a nice finsh.

 

[martin3030]

Much of these fittings now come from Taiwan so its no real difference using one or the other as quality wise they are no better or worse than eachother.Just as important is the quality of your TV and interconnecting leads,there are many alternatives in quality for these.
As for face plates and surrounds they are widely available at big Diy stores though I would personally try a large Electrical wholesaler such as Edmund Walker or City Electrical.

 

[plugwash]

any plug/socket link will cause some quality loss. how much depends on the quality and type of the connector, whether it is an issue also depends on how good the signal was to start with.

the best way to join coax is to use F connectors and the couplers that go with them, i belive you can get plates that contain a F coupler and this is probablly the way to go for the minimum loss outlet plate.

as for the flyleads my experiance is that the thin ones that come with equipment are really quite good (less loss than my own attempts with normal thick TV coax) PROVIDED you don't try to modify them. Trying to fit a normal coax plug to that stuff doesn't work very well.

for long runs of coax sat grade is probablly a good idea but its a nightmare to put normal coax plugs on it so i wouldn't bother for short runs.

 

[Akshay]

Thanks plugwash I'll give that idea a go. Do you know who sells these F couplers and what they look like - also who sells the plates that contain an F coupler - do Maplins do these?

 

[SparkyMarky]

The last ones I bought came from Maplins, although I'm pretty sure that I've seen them in B&Q as well. Failing that, any TV or satellite shop should be able to sort you out.

 

[Akshay]

Thanks mate I'll give those 2 places a try. I'm assuming the plates will be a direct replacement for the standard one thats is screwed onto the back of my brass wall socket?
Also if the plate has an F coupler attached to it I'm assuming I'll need an aerial flylead with an F plug on one end?

Thanks for your patience.